Let's, therefore, look at an exercise that will enable you to produce, say, six very good blooms of the Intermediate Decorative type.

You have prepared your soil or potting medium, you have put your plants in and they are growing away nicely.

When they are about 20cms high, give each plant a pinch by taking out the growing tip (unless the plant has made a natural break).

When side shoots have grown about 7cms long, 'prune' the plant so that there are six.

Let these six side growths grow until a bud forms at the tips, and then rub the buds off.

As side shoots develop on each of your six branches, prune all further side growths away leaving one only on each branch.

Tie each of your six growths to stakes as they grow and when a 'cluster' of buds form at the tip of each of your six 'de-bud' to one only per stem.

Throughout the growing period, spray on a regular basis for pest and diseases, give regular applications of liquid fertiliser, and you should get six nice sized full blooms.